1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a polymeric actuator controller and polymeric actuator control method that control a displacement of a polymeric actuator, and an electronic apparatus that includes the polymeric actuator controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
A polymeric actuator is formed from a polymeric material or a composite of a polymeric material. The polymeric actuator is an actuator that converts energy supplied from a power source thereof into deformation energy of the material itself to deform. A typical power source is electric energy.
The above polymeric actuator may be applied to various electronic apparatuses. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-293008 suggests an optical device that employs the polymeric actuator.
FIG. 1 is a view for illustrating the principle of the function of the polymeric actuator.
One end of the polymeric actuator 1 is fixed, and the other end side is a free end. The polymeric actuator 1 includes a wet ion-exchange membrane 2 and electrodes 3 and 4. The ion-exchange membrane 2 serves as a polymeric portion. The electrodes 3 and 4 are arranged on both sides of the ion-exchange membrane 2 along the longitudinal direction of the ion-exchange membrane 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the polymeric actuator 1 that bends by a voltage supplied thereto is used, a voltage or an electric current is applied to both electrodes 3 and 4 to cause the polymeric actuator 1 to bend.